re: #73 Sic semper evello dildos tyrannis

I think you’re underestimating how flexible the “theology” of the Religious Right is.

It’s not that Trump hasn’t “proved” himself, it’s that he doesn’t have to prove himself because all it takes is for a pastor to give him the thumbs up and he’s okay. And in the Religious Right, the politics is front-and-center (and then justified by creative interpretation and proof-texting). That’s what’s happening when someone like Pat Robertson, Jr. endorses him…Trump is advancing the political agenda they desire, so he must be okay with God.

The Religous Right may be convinced of their own rectitude, but they are masters at presenting pragmatism (and deception, and hypocrisy) as divine mandate. Which is why Trump is able to split off part of the priestly caste that make the decisions about what is “of God.” He can be the new Cyrus…a man who does God’s will but is not Godly. The ends justify the means.

Emphasis on blame. Republican wonks have convinced themselves that they’ve put their foot in the door with fear and tossing about blame, but that they created an electorate who cares about their “principles”…yet they keep having to go back to fear and blame to sell their platform. With the Tea Party, they rode a wave of even more ramped-up fear and wild conspiracy claims, then announced that its was their principles that won. It was impossible not to notice—even for the base, who are pretty damn gullible—that the actions of the Congress did not match the tenor of world end, dictatorship, and freedom-stealing that got the TP into place. They cried existential threat instead of wolf, but the fable remains the same.

Trump has picked up the language of existential threat—there’s someone to blame that your life sucks—and just slightly shifted the targets. And that’s what the audience wants…someone who will tell them who hate, and who is to blame.

It all sounds too familiar, ja?

I did forget about the Pat Robertson endorsement. You’re right, they are quite willing to ignore the faults of a candidate if they think the candidate will get them what they want. (One very good reason why religion and politics should never mix.) But I suspect Trump is playing them for fools, too. Taibbi is absolutely right. Trump is a con man who knows how to exploit his marks’ weaknesses. He’ll turn his back on the religious nuts as soon as he’s able.